Is it okay to pen up roosters without hens?

[Hudsonsgirl]

I read other other posts that its fine to have a bachelor pen for the boys and keep the girls in their own.

One of my 2 roosters mounted one of my hens (I have 3 hens.) and he ripped her side open under her wing. It upset me to know one of them could do that and seeing I only have three hens, and going into colder months, I didn't want this to happen again.

The roos are a bit aggressive anyway, meaning I have to carry a stick with me when going in the pen to do anything. We've been bit and flogged by both roosters and they are less than a year old.

I'm freaked out to go in and now that one of my girls got hurt, I'm wanting to get rid of them, but my hubby suggested penning them separately until or if we want eggs fertilized.

They will have a 10x6 space together and a plastic dog house to stay in if they want to. I will put up perches for them and plant herbs outside their pen for them to munch on?

Does all this sound okay? I feel like I need to do this , and on the other hand it feels mean to keep them from the girls. Oh, and their pen will be added on to the girls pen so they can still see and hear them.

 

[wrathsfarm]

I read other other posts that its fine to have a bachelor pen for the boys and keep the girls in their own.

One of my 2 roosters mounted one of my hens (I have 3 hens.) and he ripped her side open under her wing. It upset me to know one of them could do that and seeing I only have three hens, and going into colder months, I didn't want this to happen again.

The roos are a bit aggressive anyway, meaning I have to carry a stick with me when going in the pen to do anything. We've been bit and flogged by both roosters and they are less than a year old.

I'm freaked out to go in and now that one of my girls got hurt, I'm wanting to get rid of them, but my hubby suggested penning them separately until or if we want eggs fertilized.

They will have a 10x6 space together and a plastic dog house to stay in if they want to. I will put up perches for them and plant herbs outside their pen for them to munch on?

Does all this sound okay? I feel like I need to do this , and on the other hand it feels mean to keep them from the girls. Oh, and their pen will be added on to the girls pen so they can still see and hear them.

Yes... Do all of that. Mean is letting one of the Roosters slice the side of one your hens and possibly kill them.
If you want to calm them down until you can cull them, place their pen away from view of your hens. Seeing the hens and not being able to get to them agitates them more.
And yes them boys need to go. Their not Roosters you want.

 

[sourland]

I'd separate them from the hens immediately, and would start the process of relocating them. You could always purchase fertile eggs if you want to hatch chicks. Why carry on the genes of human aggressive birds?

 

[wrathsfarm]

I'd separate them from the hens immediately, and would start the process of relocating them. You could always purchase fertile eggs if you want to hatch chicks. Why carry on the genes of human aggressive birds?

I agree with this but would add...if your looking to relocate or re-home your Roosters you should provide full disclosure that they are human aggressive.
Last thing you want to do is re-home a Rooster to a family that's never had a Roo and someone gets injured especially a child.
These 2 are best made in to soup.

 

[sourland]

These 2 are best made in to soup.

Or chicken and dumplings/

 

[Hudsonsgirl]

Yes... Do all of that. Mean is letting one of the Roosters slice the side of one your hens and possibly kill them.
If you want to calm them down until you can cull them, place their pen away from view of your hens. Seeing the hens and not being able to get to them agitates them more.
And yes them boys need to go. Their not Roosters you want.

Building on to the hens pen is my only choice, the way my property is set up, and cost. I could put a tarp on the girls' pen to block the Roo's view of them. Would that work?

 

[wrathsfarm]

Building on to the hens pen is my only choice, the way my property is set up, and cost. I could put a tarp on the girls' pen to block the Roo's view of them. Would that work?

Yes that would work. They may be curious on both sides of the pen and peck and fray it, but for a temporary block that would work just fine.

 

[wrathsfarm]

Anything you have laying around that's not see thru would work as a sight blocker/wind and snow block.
Old doors, plywood, tarps, colored plastic like contractor garbage bags, cheap dollar store shower curtains even feed bags or cardboard would work. Just trying to give you ideas if you need them. Some birds get curious and want to peck at certain things so it's trial and error til we figure out what works best.

 

[Hudsonsgirl]

Thank you for the advice everyone. I didn't think about them pecking and shredding the tarp. Hmmm. I wonder, if I get branches from my woods and create a "wall" between the girls and the roos that might work better!

Ugh, I just remembered, I planned on wrapping the backside of the girls' pen with a thick clear tarp as a wind block during winter and take it down in spring. But, the roos will be on that backside, so now I don't know how I'm supposed to wrap their pen and be able to take it down without going in the roosters pen. I'd put the roosters on a different side of the hens' pen, but it's already fenced off for our ducks.

 

[wrathsfarm]

Dollar General/ Dollar Tree shower curtains are super cheap...